The mass exodus the last two seasons has people wondering about the level of talent remaining in the Desert Vista football program.

Jeff Rutledge, a former player and coach in the NFL and NCAA Champion quarterback at the University of Alabama, has been hired as the head football coach at Valley Christian High School.

Norris Vaughan looked at peace sitting at his desk in the football office after a recent spring football practice.

The Mountain Pointe duo of Natrell Curtis and Jalen Brown keep getting national attention.

The last two sessions of spring football have led to two great rides during the regular seasons.

Mountain Pointe senior linebacker David Jakpor signed with the South Dakota School of Mines this week.

While the story doesn’t originate in Ahwautkee it should resonate with everyone.

On Jan. 22, Priest Willis slipped on a pair of powder blue football gloves, aligned his hands in the sign of a “U” and confirmed to the college football world what everyone long suspected: He was verbally committing to UCLA.

Zach Miller came to Seattle in 2011 with a big contract and a penchant for catching a lot of passes.

The annual Tempe All City Banquet is being held on Monday.

The 5-foot-10, 186-pound quarterback led the Thunder to a 9-3 record in his first year as a starter before the team lost in the state quarterfinals.

Two more lists of all-Arizona football selections came out with several players being honored.

The assignment is to predict the next year in sports.

The thing about covering the sports scene in Ahwatukee Foothills is there is always going to be a contender.

The signature play of Matt Guida’s astounding junior season looked like a split-second decision, but was actually days in the making.

Hospice of the Valley volunteer Gregg Smith was the runner up for the 2012 Arizona Cardinals Community Quarterback grand prize award. Smith, who has given more than 500 hours of volunteer service, will receive a $3,000 donation benefitting the nonprofit agency.

Losing matches he should have won wasn’t Cooper Gardner’s biggest problem.

A lot of people like to make predictions on what is going to happen. Too few of us take responsibility for their successes and, yes, their failures. Here is what I forecast on December 23, 2011 followed by what actually happened and my report card:

The occupational tools for high school athletic directors do not include a fire extinguisher.

It wasn’t hard to choose last year’s Tribune Player of the Year, as Saguaro running back D.J. Foster broke several state records, ran for 508 yards and 10 touchdowns in one game and led the Sabercats to the Division III state title.

It was another memorable football postseason, as Hamilton assumed its familiar place atop Division I, while Queen Creek and Seton Catholic also won championships.

Considering the surroundings, the Mountain Pointe players held it together pretty well while everything around them probably felt like it was closing in on them.

As much as today’s world is about living in the now – constantly posting status updates or sharing digital moments instantly – mental images and creating memories still serve as the best way to chronicle life’s treasures.